U announces new chief information officer and chief of police

Both report to senior chief administrative officer John Nixon

Jan. 5, 2015 – The University of Utah announced two key administrative positions today. After the completion of national searches, Stephen Hess has been appointed chief information officer and Dale Brophy is the director of public safety and chief of police.

Hess was the university’s CIO from 2007 to 2011. He was responsible for milestone developments in campuswide information technology strategy and operations and oversaw the Office of Information Technology, Administrative Computing Services, Instructional Media Services and the Center for High Performance Computing. Hess directed the creation of the Utah Education Network, bringing 40 school districts together, along with state libraries and state government, to build a network of online resources for faculty and students. He was also the assistant commissioner of higher education and the CIO for the entire Utah System of Higher Education.

As deputy chief of police at the U, Brophy oversaw the department’s daily operations, the dispatch center and assisted with emergency management functions and federal compliance issues. Brophy holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Utah and is the immediate past president of the Utah Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates. Before coming to the university, he worked as a lieutenant for the West Valley City Police Department from 1994 to 2013.

Both Hess and Brophy report to John Nixon, whose title is now senior chief administrative officer and chief financial officer. Nixon’s dual titles and the organizational structure now more accurately reflect those of corresponding positions within the Pac-12 Conference. This structure also allows for greater coordination among the university’s administrative functions to better support the university’s academic and research mission. The appointments and changes are effective Jan. 1, pending notification of the university’s academic senate and approval by the university’s board of trustees.

Nixon, former director of Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget for Utah and state budget director for the state of Michigan, joined the university on March 1. The offices now reporting directly to him are the following:

• Financial and Business Services
• Administrative Services
• Information Technology
• Human Resources
• Facilities Management
• Public Safety
• Enterprise Process and Project Management Team